Travelogue ~ Pilgrimage to Soyinka's Forest ~ Mujahid Ameen Lilo
Ijegba
Forest
We are on our way into
the forest Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka calls home. And we are 85
finalists for the WSICE essay competition (85 is Prof’s age this year), a few
teachers, the WSICE organizers and reporters. We are all here for the
competition and series of programs called Wole Soyinka International Cultural
Exchange (WSICE), held annually to mark the Laureate’s birthday. This is year,
it is holding in three states: Lagos, Ogun and Ondo. We are leaving for Ondo
today after the meeting with Soyinka. The result of the essay we wrote
yesterday at the Cultural Centre would be announced in the presence of Prof. We
are all aglow in brand new orange T-shirts. The Ogun sun has just risen but the
July clouds makes her look sleepy as they wander in the sky, reaching for each
other. We drive deeper and deeper into the labyrinthine Abeokuta rocks and
green hills, and bushes until finally:
TRESPASSING VEHICLES WILL BE SHOT AND EATEN
TRESPASSING COWS WILL BE HANGED
Those warnings written on
two signboards and nailed to the gate of Ijegba forest welcomed us. We break
into a straight line and start marching into the forest. Breathing in here
feels refreshing, a natural greenness. Aunty Lynda Amadi, the Associate Producer
leads us. She is Igbo but exudes the bravura and jolliness of Yoruba.
She keeps commanding, 'If
you are happy and you know say Kongi,' and we would chorus the name, the
nickname of Soyinka.
Aunty Lynda complains we
were not loud enough and look sluggish. She will warm us up, she says. Thus,
she starts running and asks us to follow suit, all the while shouting. The
forest echoes our voices, the sound made by our running feet. We run round for
a long time and then Lynda stops and asks us to dance as we sing 'Kongi is a
goal'. She inspects to spot those not dancing. She brings them out to dance
before everyone. I keep hiding, to no avail. A dance of the forest indeed, the
title of Soyinka's play comes to my mind as I do what I think is a dance: a
mere stamping of feet and clapping of hands. In short, I'm doing 'ten-ten'
which I learn from my sisters.
Finally, after the
warming up, we break into a single line again and begin threading this forest
path. We can see his hunting materials. I wonder how an 85 year old man would
live all alone in a forest, hunting. We arrive at the clearing where stands,
regally, the Laureate’s house. A sprawling quaint red brick building. I turn my gaze to the path we followed the
previous day. This path leads you to an amphitheater with a tent over it and a
man -made lake with many canoes. Crossing the bridge over the lake brings you
to a resort with two more houses; one storey glass building, and another built
with bamboo.
We were there yesterday to
admit over three hundred other students of Ogun state. We had series of
contests: spelling bee, quiz, fast finger puzzle, poetry reading, traditional
attire, and traditional food exhibition. In the traditional snacks exhibition,
I displayed Kilishi among various foods from all the corners of the country. I
had to explain how it is made, its history, and nutritional benefits. In the
end, I came first, our Northern food beating other foods from all over the
nation. For the traditional poetry contest, Khairat, from Kaduna, took the
stage and dazzled all her with her Hausa poem, Ayye Mama. The Hausa poem
took first and they were so mesmerized by it that Khairat would be called again
many time to recite it including in Ondo as we await the arrival of the
governor and his wife. Ibrahim Maina from Gombe performed a heart touching love
poem and took the trophy of Best English Poem. Again, Sam from Adamawa was
awarded the best male attire.
When a man arrived with a
car right into Kongi's forest, the MC asked it should be taken out as Prof
Soyinka does not allow vehicles into his forest because it would spoil the good
soil. We had a break and were asked to cross the lake into the resort with our
take-aways. We explored. We snaked our ways deeper into the forests. We entered
Wole Soyinka's bamboo house, all the walls adorned with breathtaking paintings.
In this season of smart phones and selfies, it was nothing but phones raised in
the air and the cries of clicking cameras...
When I turn back my gaze
and raise it; lo and behold, standing on the doorstep upstairs, majestically is
Prof Soyinka, The Great, welcoming us into his home. I climb on the stairs and
I am before him. I am before his comely white hairs that I always see and adore
on books, newspapers and TVs. He pats my
back and he answers my greeting with a grin.
I am in his parlor which looks like a museum with its abundance of art
works; then his library, a world of books. We pass the living room and dining
room and climbing some stairs down, we arrive his amphitheater. We, the
finalists, take seats. Organizers, teachers and even Prof himself stand.
Then in his elegant
accent, Prof starts speaking to us. He thanks the organizers and congratulates
us for having 'achieved the level which enable you to come not only here but to
also visit some other places'. He says since he understands we will be visiting
Ondo state governor that same day, he won't take much of our time. 'But we
follow the routine', he adds. 'We can ask him any question,' he says.
There are many questions:
'Why do you choose to
live in a forest? ‘(Because I love nature...)
'Why do you love nature? ‘(I
don't know... I just love nature...)
'Who among Nigeria's
leaders do you like most?' (None)
'Who do you worship?' (I
don't worship… I believe in supernatural beings)
'What advice would you
give young writers? ‘(Read. Write. Submit to literary magazines and be ready to
receive rejection slips... On writers block… Take a walk. Relax...)
And my question: 'Who do
you write for? It is said some writers write for themselves, while some for the
general public? (Raise your voice, young man. You know I'm an old man). That
has always been the case with me. I am always asked to be more audible.
I repeat the question.
(Well, I write with no audience in mind... And I'm sure if I write something, a
good percentage of you here will understand).
As the questions keep
flowing, I text the North Coordinator, Uthman Nurain, reminding him I have a
gift to present to Prof. After he has whispered to the producer, I am called
out. I introduce myself and tell them about my gift, a work of calligraphy by
Qalbsaleem M T. I am told to read the
poem. Standing side by side with Soyinka, I read it to him:
Meeting Kongi
To stand
before you/ To be charmed by the comeliness of your white hairs
Breathing
in your green forest/ Swimming in the splendour of your light
Chanting
'Happy birthday Kongi'/ My hand taking in your hand
That
scribbled Nobel deserving works/ And presenting this over to you
Is my
dream coming alive.
For I
know I will emerge/ With streaks of your light
Guiding
me when I set forth at dawn
On my
journey on the Pen Path.
'Nice poem', he enthuses.
I present it to him and he raises it for the camera men obviously pleased.
It is time for
announcement of result and presentation of gifts. Unexpectedly, my ears hear my
name being read by Dr Razinat T Muhammad, a lecturer at UNIMAID and also my
mentor.
I walk over to Prof and he
presents me my trophy, saying 'Congratulations '. And I'm like 'Alhamdulillah ' I send Adamu Garko
a text, the guy that has always been there, the guy to whom all the credit goes
to.
Soyinka's sister, Prof
Omofolabo Soyinka then present us our gifts and we have many pictures. His son,
who works with the Wole Soyinka Foundation is there. The producer of the
program ask we recite the national anthem to close the session but Prof Soyinka
said no. When asked if we could recite the Ogun anthem, Prof agrees.
As the Nobel laureate
sees us off, I call Maryam Gatawa a good mentor of mine to inform her of my
victory. She is so excited.
Later, we would visit the
Adire Mall and Olumu rocks before finally setting off for Ondo, another rocky
city. The next day, we would meet with their governor, a kind man who stressed
that Prof Wole Soyinka deserves the country's highest award for intellectual
achievement. I would return to Kano to a warm welcome by family and the Kano
state Ministry of Education. A month later, Barrister Ishmael Ahmad, a Senior Special
Assistant to President Buhari on Social Investment would present me with a
laptop and Tijjani Muhammad Musa, ANA Kano secretary, with a ten thousand naira
cheque.
But for now, it's me and
Gatawa on phone, and Prof by my side.
**********
Mujahid Ameen Lilo writes
from the ancient city of Kano, where he is a secondary school student. He
conduct interviews for 'Poetic Wednesdays' Personalities of the Month. He has won
the BUK Creative Writers' Poetry Contest. He was the Artist of the Month of
Yasmin Elrufai Foundation. He has been published in various magazines and
journals.
Brief, concise and true
ReplyDeleteNice one "Prof" mujahid
I'm in dearth of words to describe how happy I'm for you my brother.
ReplyDeleteThanks all.
ReplyDelete